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ITSAN is pleased to see that the National Eczema Association has recently formed an advisory committee task force to study topical steroid addiction.

NEA announces study of topical steroid addiction

ITSAN documentation of patient experiences with TSA has been submitted to the Task Force

(PRWEB)January 22, 2014

International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN) and National Eczema Association (NEA) have been communicating openly for the past few years about the growing medical and social problem of topical steroid addiction. This dialogue along with the inquiries of many former chronic eczema sufferers has caused the NEA to take a closer look at this condition sometimes called red skin syndrome.

Steroid-induced eczema is frequently the topic discussed on the NEA Facebook and support forum wall as former chronic eczema sufferers return to tell others they are now free from using the creams and have clear skin for the first time in their life. The ITSAN forum is growing rapidly with adults and parents of children who once depended on the steroids to keep their skin under control and often went from lowest strength over-the-counter hydrocortisone to very strong ones at the direction of their dermatologist or doctor.

Kristina Ventura decided to tell the world about TSA after stopping the application of all steroids on her own daughter Keira. She felt hope after seeing a post on the NEA support group wall by a person in withdrawal herself and contacted her. A light went on and from there the hard journey began for Kristina's child who was thought to have chronic eczema. Keira suffered the grueling withdrawals and finally entered the land of healed skin, free of needing the drugs on her body ever again.

Kristina spent countless hours contacting other parents in the ITSAN forum and compiling a file of hard core evidence to support the reality of topical steroid addition and its cure by stopping the cream. She sent the file to the president of National Eczema Association who has been listening to her and other parents who blog and visit various internet sites to help raise awareness of this growing medical and social problem.

NEA announced in December 2013 that the many inquiries have compelled their organization to form a Scientific Advisory Committee Task Force. This study includes defining topical steroid addiction, clinical findings, symptoms and patterns that lead to it, treatment and how common TSA may be. It will also include comments from patients, caregivers, medical personal and founder of red skin syndrome, Dr. Marvin Rapaport. It is the hope of ITSAN that organizations like NEA will help pave the way to stop the abuse of steroid creams, preventing the addiction and painful withdrawals, plus find alternatives for eczema.